Silent, But Not Still
by megicci
Summary: Mercy is a privilege of humanity. But what, then are promises? And what, truly, is the bridge between hearts? Sona/Ahri; Plot Device/Ahri, in order of importance. Recently revised parts of Chapter 1! Rating will always be T; all sexytimes will be located in separate stories. On hiatus. Check back November!
1. Still Beating

**Silent, But Not Still**

**Chapter 1**

_ Ahri had walked these fields many times. It'd been a century – perhaps more than one – since her birth here. The full humans whom she so envied cultivated the once-devastated land. The sight before her – rolling hills, each with a tilled field and terraced with rice paddies – gave her a sense of nostalgia, a sense of pride, and a feeling of regret. The beings to whom she owed her continuing life, to whom she owed her dream's near fulfillment – she had taken their lives without recompense. A moment of bliss followed by a moment of horror is not bliss at all, decidedly._

_ So many humans' life forces had she been made drunk off. So many humans who'd been drunk with desire for the nine-tailed fox. She loved humans – why else would she become one? But to simply give her to them in a carnal manner, and nothing more, nothing less for only an instant before taking the humans' futures full of infinite potential was something... dreadful. She did not enjoy the activity, or revel in it, like all those whom she had lured seemed to assume._

_ This lifestyle only allowed Ahri loneliness. Day after day of wandering from village to village had jaded her. After all, her techniques often involved her incorporating herself into the villages she came across. This meant that any revisits within two generations would have her discovered. So far, she was only a myth._

_ She didn't exist. Just a myth. None of those who had the chance to witness the throes of a more physical passion were alive to tell of her. More importantly, none of the people she had charmed actually _loved_ her._

_ In short, Ahri was lonely. She could not afford to befriend or love a human, and it seemed that no other creatures of her kind existed – she had caught wind of a few (for example, a crow-man with a long red nose, and some other sort of crow abomination with a third leg), but never had she come across another. So when she came across a transcendent feline – close relative to her vulpine nature – taking a nap on an abandoned hermit's hut's roof, she couldn't resist to urge to wake the feline._

_ The feline – nekomata – was a female, the same as Ahri. As such, Ahri was elated – here was someone she could truly share a bond with, one that wasn't clouded by lust. Most likely. The sleeping figure Ahri looked upon breathed lightly, but deeply. These breaths were delicate but unreserved, almost like a child's. She had two cat tails, but seeing as she was sleeping, they lay prone on the floor much as she did. The nekomata's clothing was worn and ragged and made of unknown cloth, seemingly stolen off some random villager. Her armpits were exposed, and Ahri... kind of wanted to tickle them._

_ So she did._

_ The ensuing giggles – at a calming mid pitch – surprised Ahri. The nekomata did not move at all, but laughter still came from her lips. It was amazing._

_ But, alas, it didn't last; the transcendent feline sprung awake and glared at Ahri. The gumiho almost surmised that the nekomata would yowl or claw at her, but these thoughts were interrupted by the newly-awakened feline's question._

_ "How come your boobs are so huge?"_

Ahri woke. She frowned. Once again, no dreams. Not that she supposed foxes had dreams often, but what she wanted was to be human at last. Humans dreamed nearly every night, and for her to suddenly start moving away from her ideal was both baffling and frustrating.

More baffling and frustrating were the ridiculous expectations her summoners imposed upon her since she entered the League. "Oh, you're that slut" this, or "Hey, can you do a sexy dance for me?" that. She'd spewed the same joke so many times that simply uttering the first syllable made her want to puke. Seriously, they should have made laws about summoners sexually harassing their champions. But no one wanted to listen to the League's whore.

Following these musings, Ahri readied herself for the day's toils. Being a relatively popular champion (for many reasons, some of which she disliked) meant she would be getting several summonings a day. It didn't worry her, though; the hours were better than the average human's day job. As per usual, she spent quite a while readying her hair. It was a bit jarring at first to do her hair manually rather than with magic, but in order to further her endeavor to become human, she put effort at things with little return. Foolish of the humans, but human indeed. A morning shower wasn't necessary; Ionians tended to shower at night, and she had adopted the routine. As such, after brushing her (pearly white!) teeth and splashing her face a few times to wake up, she exited her League housing.

It was nice to have a place to stay, for once. _But there was somewhere I could stay_, thought Ahri. _But then..._

Regretting the past wouldn't do. She passed the Judgment for a reason. Ahri continued her graceful stride to somewhere she could pass the time until her next summoning. A creature of her origin didn't require food (though it was nice once in a while), and she didn't tend to socialize with other champions too often. When she did, they approached her or just happened to be around, and all she could manage was a weakly seductive tone or a meagerly humorous jab. It could be concluded, then, that she wouldn't be going to the library – too many bookish nerds lived in the Institute of War's champion accommodations. The cafeteria, bar, and cafe were always crowded with the more socially apt and obnoxious of the champions, and the artificial lake and forest were frequented by the various less humanoid champions of the League.

Ahri sighed. There was nothing to do in her room but sleep, and most of the places that facilitated a pastime were too filled with people and things that reminded her of wrongs and rights. Maybe she'd be fine going to the playground with Nunu, Amumu, and Annie. They seemed to be quiet and thoughtful, and at least got along. Plus, children wouldn't approach someone like her with any manner other than respect.

On the way to the playground and park, Ahri passed by the various musical buildings. These veritable amphitheaters were used by summoners and champions alike, considering the multitude of the musically inclined among these groups. She anxiously jogged past the Pentakill practice room. The lyrics didn't exactly appeal to her.

But amidst the guttural growls and overbearing symphonies laid out by Karthus's voice, Ahri heard the droning of guitar and bass intermingling. And amidst even those, she heard a much less muddled noise. It brought clarity to her mind. She immediately stood straight, with a posture akin to Fiora's, and adjusted her ears to listen to it more clearly.

The chords and harmonies seemed to speak of a past of helplessness, and of dear ones lost to one's own hand. They plucked and rang and jangled, but most importantly, Ahri felt as if she was being surrounded by the notes.

Each note spoke to her, sang to her, and assured her that things would be alright. Yet still, they were tinged with hopelessness and pain, and self-doubt. Ahri instinctively grabbed her right shoulder.

She had goosebumps.

She was _sobbing._

"Probably... can't let those kids see me like this," she muttered, suppressing multiple tear-induced hiccups. The playground was off for today, with its yordle-sized slides and bear-sized scratch posts. She supposed she would go home, before her thoughts redirected themselves to those unique, harp-like sounds that threatened to give Ahri a crash course on her past.

A summoner's voice intruded in Ahri's head. This one was familiar, though she couldn't place a name onto it – most summoners didn't bother giving her a name. She was an object.

_"You're up for the Demacian-Ionian alliance sparring match."_

The voice was male. He didn't sound particularly threatening, but these types were usually the worst, personality-wise. Ahri sent a little telepathic message back at him.

_"Contract accepted. Which Field of Justice will we be skirmishing on today?"_

_ "The Twisted Treeline."_

The name made Ahri shudder a bit. She'd been on that field a few times before, each time provoking more violent reactions than the last. Most didn't notice. It usually manifested in a twitch of a tail, or impaired aim. She hid it well enough. Summoner's Rift was gorgeous and alive, and reminded her of an ancient Ionia. But the Twisted Treeline felt more like the Rune Wars. The humans' conflict, petty as it was, that made her who she was. Begrudgingly, she allowed herself to be channeled and summoned into the Field of Justice.

It was sticky, moist, rife with decay. Putrid smells filled the area, negating Ahri's pleasant scent. Strange vegetation grew everywhere it could, some of it in shapes I dare not describe. Twisted Treeline, indeed.

The Twisted Treeline had its own unspoken set of rules, Ahri had learned the first time. All three of the summoned champions on one side were to go down the bottom lane to duel the other three, and with the proper composition, would come out on top and gain an advantage after acing the enemy team. Knowing this, Ahri evaluated the best idea as being to unlock the ability of Orb of Deception within her and her summoner's link. He agreed, and had her buy a Doran's Ring from Gonzo as well. Ahri considered wearing it on her left hand, but frowned and slipped it on her right instead.

Ahri's team, excluding herself, was Demacian. It wasn't a bad composition, either – Shyvana dealt quite a bit of damage early on, with unparalleled movement speed and resilience. Fiora could utilize Shyvana's ability to reduce enemy defense in order to deal a large amount of damage at once. They were both great artists. _Not nearly as good as me, though,_ Ahri decided.

The summoners of all three echoed a few sentences back and forth as the champions made their way to the brush past their side's turrets. Excerpts include such popular phrases as "girl power yea!" and "gl hf," as well as "Ahri, I'll tell you a secret!" The summoners also discussed, in brief, how they would defeat the enemy during their duel.

_"Summoner,"_ Ahri asked, _"Who are the enemy champions?"_

_ "Sec, let me bring up the documents,"_ he replied. The summoners had a repertoire of auto-inscribed magical scrolls that could be brought up using the faculties of the summoner supervising the match. He paused before continuing, _"Master Yi, Irelia, and Sona."_

Well, then. As long as they got the early advantage and took ground, at least, they would do fine. Yi's main threat was after he gathered enough momentum, leading to kills, but that was difficult on this Field. Particularly with Miss Fiora the Turret Demolisher and Shy "I'm going to run at you in Dragon form" vana. Irelia, if denied momentum, wouldn't be too bad, either, if they went at her with another force.

But who was Sona? Ahri'd never sparred with someone with that name before.

By the time she reached the brush, she knew. Sona, Irelia, and Yi were waiting there in ambush. Ahri and her summoner had the prescience to launch her orb in there first, while Shyvana and co. rushed in. Fiora was relatively skilled with her parries, though, so Yi fell rather quickly. But Irelia wouldn't die, for some reason. Sona didn't seem to be doing anything, and Irelia normally wasn't this resilient, so why?

Ahri attuned her ears to something other than the clash of steel.

The melody of Sona's arias, chords, and harmonies played with the ferocity of battle invaded Ahri's ear canals.

Yes, Sona was the second member of Pentakill, and the player of the etwahl.

The gumiho's knees gave, and she fell to the floor crying.

_Why does this music resonate so?_


	2. Quicken

**Chapter 2**

_ Ahri didn't particularly mind the strange feline-humanoid's incessant company. It seemed like the girl followed her everywhere. Not that it was unpleasant, of course; it just got in the way when Ahri needed some sustenance. The nekomata had a strange mix of unyielding naivete and profound wisdom, which was quite amusing to the gumiho. At least she had someone to talk to, about things besides reproductive organs._

_ Earlier, Ahri asked the nekomata her name. She gingerly replied, "I'm Kyou! What's your name? Besides, you know, boobs."_

_ Irritated, the older of the transcendent duo mussed Kyou's shorter, softer hair. "Not 'boobs.' My name is Ahri." She paused in thought, holding up a finger to signal for silence. "I've never really told anyone my name before."_

_ "Why not?" asked Kyou, slightly perturbed._

_ "No one's asked." It didn't take much for Ahri to force a stoic face. She wondered why, when humans placed so much value on names, they didn't ask during the most intimate act possible of two humans._

_ Kyou stood on the tips of her toes and reached her entire arm-span to pat Ahri on the head, behind her ears. Ahri let the slightest grin show – not because she thought it was cute or because she enjoyed it, but because of the irony. "I don't think foxes purr, Kyou."_

_ "Oh," came the disheartened reply._

_ "You wanted to hear me purr?"_

_ "No, it's just... I always purr when I'm happy." That explained the cacophony heard while they walked to the next village. Ahri refrained from commenting, though._

_ "I am happy," said Ahri. "Happy enough, anyways."_

_ "Really? What do you even do every day? Like, I climb trees and talk to the tigers. Sometimes I go to eat rodents, but there aren't a lot around."_

_ This was quite the predicament. Well, to be able to transcend, she must have gotten to _that_ age as a cat, at least. It wouldn't be ideal to tell Kyou, though. _Ah, geez,_ thought the gumiho. _Whatever.

_ "I eat the souls of humans by sort-of-kind-of having sex with them."_

_ Kyou stared blankly at Ahri. "Sounds interesting. Can I try?"_

_ Ahri looked cynically off to the side. "I don't think you have the, uh, set of tools for that."_

_ Arms wrapped around Ahri's waist. She knew they belonged to Kyou, and didn't make a big deal about it. Cats were strange, needy creatures, she found. The only problem was what Kyou would do after hugging. At this point, Ahri found herself hoping nekomata didn't have claws._

_ Kyou nuzzled her face into Ahri's back, and placed a kiss on her shoulder blade. This elicited a jolt, and Ahri made her way out of Kyou's embrace. _

_ "You really don't have the set of tools," muttered Ahri._

_ "And I was sure you'd make erotic noises."_

_ "And I am more sure than ever that you'll never be able to do that sort of thing."_

_ "Really? 'Cause, I wanna be as good as you."_

_ Ahri glanced at Kyou in disdain. Was she serious? Moreover, how did Kyou know if Ahri was any good at all?_

_ Kyou continued. "How else am I supposed to satisfy you?"_

_ "Are you serious?" Ahri shot back reflexively, as if she was gagging._

_ "I like you."_

_ Ahri would have blushed if her mental guards weren't so sturdy. This was, after all, the first time anyone had told her that while sober. It was also the first time she heard it from a girl she met two hours ago. "Do you really? Are you sure that's not just my natural sexiness rolling off of my body?"_

_ "I think you might like me back a little, huh."_

_ "Do not!" yelled Ahri, flustered. It seemed Kyou had more experience in this part of interpersonal relationships than the gumiho did._

_ "You so totally do," replied Kyou. She then skipped ahead and stopped with her face in front of Ahri's, lips puckered. The target of Kyou's kiss didn't really appreciate this behavior. It reminded her a bit too much of the men she sometimes charmed near taverns. This girl, at least, did not force herself upon the gumiho._

_ Ahri stopped in front of Kyou and stared past her, waiting for the girl to get bored of waiting for a kiss. Apparently, though, all nekomata had Heart of Patience +5 equipped constantly. Getting bored herself, Ahri redirected her gaze at her new-found traveling companion. _

_ Kyou was trembling._

That's right. Cats do get attached to people this quickly._ Ahri sighed. "I give up."_

_ Ahri's lips brushed against Kyou's forehead. The latter squealed in excitement. "I do too have the tools!"_

_ Ahri nodded with a sarcastic grin and continued on, motioning for Kyou to follow her. They walked in silence the rest of the way._

–

Fiora and Shyvana died to Sona's Power Chords. Ahri could faintly feel the trauma of being ripped in half mentally that emanated from their bodies. She tensed – still on the floor – bracing herself for death, as well. It wasn't exactly a good day.

Sona played the Aria of Perseverance, allowing Irelia to stand up from her sustained wounds. Each soft note swathed itself upon Ahri before moving on, carried by the wind. Each time, Ahri's emotions decided to smack her upside the head. She held in a new wave of tears, making an effort to swallow.

The Aria abruptly ended in the middle of its sixteenth measure. A hand, delicate fingers, placed itself atop Ahri's head. Sona knelt down and placed her other hand on Ahri's shoulder. The nine-tails fox met Sona's eyes, her vision still blurry from tears. Sona smiled softly and nodded to Irelia, her lanemate.

"She asks, 'are you okay?'" relayed Irelia.

Ahri took a deep breath, then exhaled, lowering her eyes. "Why don't you kill me?"

The Maven of the Strings mussed Ahri's hair a bit and, using the gumiho's chin as leverage, brought their gazes together. She shook her head and smiled. The Nine-tails Fox opened her mouth so as to speak, but was interrupted by Irelia.

"She says, 'This is a practice match between two allied city-states. Would it not be rude to kill an ally offering no resistance?'"

A revelation was made. Ahri pointed at Sona, noticeably more chipper, and asked, "Is she mute?"

Sona nodded. She took Ahri's hand – Ahri was startled, but didn't quite have the energy to resist – and brought it to her neck. Sona's vocal cords moved. Her lips and tongue did indeed form words. No sound came forth. The point being made, Sona released Ahri's hand. The latter withdrew her hand as Sona stood.

"I believe we should adjourn this match," said Irelia. "We clearly have been neglecting one of our champions' mental state."

Ahri did not look forward to having to go to one of the infamous League therapists. "What do you mean?"

Irelia's face fell. "You cried to the point of catharsis in the middle of a teamfight. There is something wrong, and not something minor. We do have Judgments for a reason, you know."

Groaning, Ahri asked, "Is there a process I have to go through? Monitoring, anything?"

Sona, still near Ahri, placed a reassuring hand on Ahri's shoulder, patting a few times. She averted her eyes to look at Irelia.

"We will discuss that after you've calmed down. Sona doesn't think kindly of those therapists, either. Mostly because she can't talk."

Ahri let loose a relieved sigh. She'd gotten caught up in her solitude. Just this exchange gave her a little confidence boost, enough that she could focus on the present – not what she was fighting for or any other intangible concepts.

The grasp of the summoning slowly loosened its hold on Ahri. She saw the faint, ethereal glimmering on Irelia and Sona as well.

"We'll be in the lobby for this match. Meet us there? Surely, you do not want to deal with those obnoxious summoners."

She made a weak gesture of agreement. Following that, the summoning contract lost its hold entirely. Ahri's feet touched the tiled floor of the Institute's central hall. There wasn't much else to do, so she began striding towards the lobby for that match. Lobbies typically weren't too crowded, either, even if the atmosphere was somber and stagnant.

She passed by different people on her way: humanoid, bird, what-have-you. Each one, she supposed, shouldered a burden; most of their faces were stoic, solemn. Those who were smiling had lips too upturned to be that idealized bliss. It wasn't a big deal that she had no one to talk to. No one else seemed to be bawling because of some Ab harmonics. She made these observations, unfazed by the prominent catcalls echoing from every corner. _I'm a fox. Why can't they at least get that right?_

Ahri only put up her seductive act for the show of others. At one point or another in her life, it had become second nature to her. What was first nature, she did not know. There wasn't much of a point in wondering. At the top of her list of priorities, however, was not appeasing the occasional hedonist, but finding Irelia and Sona. She really didn't want to have to deal with another mortal buffoon asking for her number, so as to call her maybe.

Having pondered for a while now, Ahri's blank gaze defrosted itself to reveal the match lobby. Also, Irelia and Sona's puzzled faces.

"You have been staring at that couch for a while now," mused Irelia.

Sona smiled warmly. Her lips, too, were too upturned. Ahri exhaled and said nothing of it. The Maven of the Strings motioned for Ahri to sit on aforementioned couch, a single eyebrow twitching. She was clearly fighting the urge to reveal a silly facial expression.

With all three seated (Ahri a bit higher up, thanks to her tails), Irelia began interrogation.

"I think we'd all do well to skip the chit-chat," she said. "Ahri. You do know the only way we can avoid informing the League of a champion's volatile mental state is if we know what is bothering you?"

"I'd assume you know more than me," said Ahri.

"Good," replied Irelia. "Then I would ask you to share at least some of the details. Sona would like to know, too."

Did the Maven just enjoy listening to other's troubles so she could take her mind of her own? Even with this thought, Ahri couldn't feel irritated.

"I'd rather not."

"I'd rather not resort to threats." This elicited a bit of a slouch from Ahri.

"Fine." Ahri paused. "I'm lonely."

A look of non-comprehension crossed Irelia's face. Of course the coveted child of Ionia wouldn't know that feeling. When Ahri looked to see Sona's reaction, curious, she met the back of Sona's head. It wasn't as if she didn't know Sona felt at least a little lonely before. Ahri didn't know, though, that Sona felt it so strongly she had to conceal her tears at someone else mentioning it.

"Well," Irelia began, "I think that's a problem a lot of-"

"Shush, you," Ahri parried, and reached over to tap Sona's shoulder. "I think you have been overlooking someone for longer than I've been overlooked."

Sona turned and gazed at Ahri, unblinking. Tears still gathered and rolled down her cheek, although no sounds of sniffling or sobbing or other such crying noises escaped her mouth.

Ahri smiled softly. It was genuine, for once; she had, of course, used it for other not quite as truthful purposes, but this time, she couldn't help but feel joyful that someone else out there was in the same wallowing pit of despair as her.

"Sona, it's okay," she said in as comforting a voice as she could. Normally – before she joined the League, her voice was used to... "energize," not comfort.

Sona clearly detected the cadences of sympathy in Ahri's voice. It was only something natural for a musician. She motioned a finger upwards, and her etwahl came to her lap. A few light, quick measures came from the instrument, working their way up to a _fortissimo, _then calming once more into a _pianissimo_. It was Sona's thanks for the concern. A generous and most certainly true expression of thanks. She gave up her genuine emotions so easily (in musical form, at least), in contrast to Ahri's near perpetual guise of self-assured sex appeal.

So it was natural that Ahri's heart fluttered with each time the notes built higher on the treble staff, and each time the notes hit lower on the bass clef. She could sympathize, and at the same time these emotions wereincredibly foreign to her. Different, yet similar.

She'd felt something similar to this before, though not with quite as much a sense of sameness – it was more of an opposites attract sort of thing. And that ended pretty badly. So Ahri just smiled and said,

"Beautiful."

Vague as it was, no one else in the room divined the true meaning behind those words.


	3. Palpitation

In the two weeks following the incident, Ahri attended every Pentakill concert staged.

It wasn't Karthus' high dynamic range or his ability to have both a smooth and raspy, guttural voice.

It wasn't Mordekaiser's brutal guitar riffs, backed by Yorick's forceful and melancholy bass.

Ahri attended these concerts to hear the etwahl – to hear the "voice" of the Maven of the Strings. For some reason or another, her curiosity about the Maven's condition only rose with each passing day. Information about champions' pasts usually was divulged at their discretion, and... Sona couldn't talk. Obviously, her past was confidential, by a trick of fate.

The Nine-tails Fox hoped to gain some understanding of Sona by listening to her music. This pastime seemed to give Ahri reprieve from her days of solitude (peppered with people attempting to pick her up), and she was thankful for that, if reluctantly so.

After nearly every concert Ahri attended (and they were nearly daily!), Sona made congress with her. After all, Ahri's condition needed checking on, and despite the Maven being the second most popular member of Pentakill, she managed to make time. Most likely, she made arrangements with Mordekaiser to distract the screaming fans.

Irelia, at these times, was nowhere to be found. She was a busy Ionian, after all, and the Demacian songstress couldn't quite get a translator without a summoning link.

"Sona," Ahri muttered during one of these meetings, "you never talk. Ever."

Sona nodded. This was obvious. She was mute, and though unbeknownst to most, by choice. The etwahl was her voice – perhaps it contained her very being. It was controlling, commanding, yet gave her the freedom to communicate flawlessly and freely. Her voice filled opera halls, clubs, ampitheatres, and all other venues of entertainment. It blended seamlessly with all the other instruments, yet was immediately outstanding. She could speak this way. The etwahl was all she needed. Lestara was someone unneeded. Sona came to understand this years ago.

"It's not like I mind," Ahri said. "It's nice to be able to talk as much as I want without any interruptions except for pleasant ones."

A fluttering chime of notes ascended from the etwahl's strings. Sona was laughing. It was obvious she was used to compliments, being a prominent member of the most popular band on Runeterra.

"Sona, you're..." Ahri began. She paused there and looked at the ceiling, debating whether or not to count the marble tiles. The Maven had a pretty amazing dressing room.

Sona only smiled, allowing her fingers to soundlessly pass over the strings, with an occasional muted pluck.

"...Interesting. Since I met you, it's like all my troubles have disappeared."

Ahri blew a strand of hair out of her face. She had become accustomed to dropping the seductress act around Sona.

"They've been replaced – or hidden – by an urge to know about you. I mean, not in a creepy stalker way. It's just..."

She couldn't really help fumbling with her words. It sounded like a confession. Ahri didn't consider her feelings for Sona that strong, nor did they feel similar to _that time_. It was sympathy. Empathy. Camaraderie. She could relate, but Sona's struggles were foreign all the same. But through all these excuses, Ahri didn't know what she was feeling. It was different. It felt weird, even, and she felt a bit guilty for being so obsessive about Sona – meeting her using her earlier breakdown as a pretense.

"... I don't know. It feels like there is something bothering you, just as something is bothering me. Or was. I'm not asking you to tell me a secret or anything, but... I can't stop wondering, and I'd love to repay you for the therapy."

The Maven of the Strings smiled as warmly as she could muster, with a bit of mocking coyness somewhere in there. Ahri, as charismatic as she was sharp, could tell – this was not a genuine smile. Sona was hiding something, or perhaps _couldn't say it. _It was at this moment that Ahri decided it was her job to extract that information. It wasn't a game, of course. The former fox felt obligated to help the maiden in front of her, who began to break her smile.

"I knew it," said Ahri. "That's all I need to know, though; that I was right. I don't need specifics. I... wanted to know if I should try to help or not."

Sona cast an unsure glance at Ahri. Her eyes wavered. Doubt. Not something Ahri commonly saw in the people she charmed. It was often seen in those close to her victims...

… An acute pain shot through Ahri's chest. The diaphragm area._ No – it couldn't be – do I care this much?_ Not that again. It wasn't that again. No, she still had a promise to keep. Even if _she_ had forgotten it.

"Somehow, I don't think this is working out," said Ahri nervously.

And equally nervously, Sona took Ahri's hand – soft of touch – and brought it to her throat, once again.

She began to mouth words. "I don't..."

But stopped.

She didn't want to speak. This was violating her promise. Promises, promises...

Ahri froze up from the moment Sona touched her. A soft, ticklish sensation spread across her hands from the point of contact, and flared up into a burning feeling, permeating her body like a wildfire through dry brush once the focus of Ahri's eyes shifted to Sona's lips. She grew tense, and had to swallow and avert her eyes to quench the fire. This was the first time Sona had touched her since their initial meeting.

Ahri realized it, at this moment. Yes, these were the feelings. Different, matured from before, but still the feelings. She was infatuated with Sona. The pangs of her heart were burgeoning into full-blown love.

It felt nice. It was great. Perfect, even. Everything made sense. Even so, Ahri didn't want to break her promise. It wasn't right. _She_ was expecting a happy return. Or at least, Ahri hoped so. But her cares about this promise diminished more and more the longer Ahri's hands intermingled with Sona's.

When Sona relinquished her (delicate) grip from Ahri's now tense hands, the temptress had to exhale forcefully all at once. She was being tempted, and not at all on purpose. How pleasant.

At last, Ahri caught her breath. "You don't want to speak. That's okay. I..."

That was too impulsive. Ahri wasn't _that person_.

"...Well, it's getting late. And as you can see, I don't really need therapy." Ahri grinned. "Is it okay if I leave?"

Sona nodded, her eyes downcast a bit. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. It shot through Ahri, the pain concentrated in one area. In order to avoid more of this feeling, Ahri turned her back to Sona and exited the dressing room as quickly as she could bear to leave the Maven.

Suddenly, a figure moved out of the shadows. It was Akali.

"Are you also a Pentakill fan? I doubt it. I heard you like Sona," she opened.

As Ahri was about to ask, "So what?", Akali finished her regal opening speech.

"So many boobs. Will matchmaking ever find true balance?"

_ Ahri was a traveler by profession. She upped and left as often as she could. Getting situated would be bad._

_ Kyou didn't like this. She preferred to just stay in one spot and nap. This afforded Ahri the risk of being discovered, though. _

_ As such, the two designated roles to each other. Ahri would be the "hunter" and travel from village to village to obtain sustenance for the two of them. Taken by dubious methods, of course. Meanwhile, Kyou would maintain watch over the paths they typically traveled so as to make sure they were undiscovered. She would make anyone who knew too much "disappear." To this end, she made the center of the paths her abode, and Ahri's only permanent residence._

_ A place for the two of them to go home to._

_ It was nighttime. Ahri finished her weekly meal and brought home some trout for Kyou to eat. They watched the stars amidst the clamor of Kyou noisily eating her favorite food._

_ "Does it make a difference whether or not it's cooked?" asked Ahri. She had long forgotten the difference, as she never had time to catch her own meat, and never bothered._

_ "It does," Kyou said. "I like it better cooked now."_

_ Ahri murmured affirmatively, and allowed her eyelids to shut._

_ "Hey, Ahri?" beckoned Kyou._

_ "Yes?"_

_ "Don't leave me alone, okay? Promise?"_

_ A questioning hum escaped Ahri's throat._

_ "I love you, Ahri," said Kyou, pressing her lips against Ahri's own._


	4. Connect

**A/N: I AM SO GAR FOR AHRI**

Chapter 4

Akali just sort of stared intently with a firm resolve and a face of steel at Ahri's ears.

"Those look cuddly," she said, entirely seriously.

The two met for tea-time of some sorts at Akali's (very, very green and clean-cut) abode. Actually, the balance of the interior design was ridiculously spot-on. Every stool cut in a perfect circle was accompanied by a triangular drape, and the sliding doors had amazing postmodern art; an array of shapes and colors would bombard the eye in a very relaxing manner. Ahri wondered where Akali got the budget for this, but that pondering was soon answered.

"I have called you here for business." Akali presented a small white index card to Ahri. On it were scrawled the words: "Akali, Most Balanced Matchmaker. 50% Accuracy, 50% Satisfied Customers. 1001 Gold First Appointment Only With This Card!"

Exactly how this was a good track record or price evaded Ahri.

"I see you have found the price," said Akali. "It is free for you, Ionian fox. I am an avid attendee of Pentakill's concerts, and to see Sona happy would indeed create a balance in the world. And in their music. After all, the music has been rather dissonant lately." She nodded.

"... Right," Ahri replied, her mouth hanging slightly agape.

"So, since you are in the loves with Sona, clearly I should help you. Even if your particular track record has left people... dead."

At that statement, Ahri's eyes met the floor. She didn't need her guilt to occupy her mind again. It was all in the past, after all, and there were tasks before her right now that were more important.

"Worry not," piped Akali, after seeing Ahri dismayed, "I know your record will find balance. Just promise me you will not hurt Pentakill in any way."

"You sure love Pentakill," said Ahri, amused enough to lose the staring contest with the matchmaking ninja's hardwood floor. "Of course I'll promise. I... love Sona, after all." Her heartbeat accelerated rapidly at the admission.

So many promises to be kept, and yet she was on the verge of breaking another.

"Very well," the ninja said. "I will tell you a secret I have discovered. About Sona."

While Ahri's interest was piqued, she did not find it right to win Sona through foul play. "I don't have any need for secrets. Not about Sona, anyways; I'd love to hear a secret about your clan."

"The Kinkou has no secrets. It is that no one has bothered to learn about them," snapped Akali. "Regardless, you will need to know this secret. It is about Sona's muteness."

Ahri really didn't care. Sona being mute didn't get in the way much, and she supposed Sona wouldn't be so attuned to music or other people had she been able to speak.

The female ninja continued. "Sona is mute by choice. And – before you speak – there is more. This choice was made for her by her etwahl."

The gumiho cast a quizzical glance at Akali. "How'd you know this?"

"Regarding her choice, I have read her Judgment log. The summoners hear not the voice of Sona, but the voice of the etwahl. Why, after all, would Sona speak, even through a mental link, if she chose to deny the ability to do so in a less direct, physical manner? – And yet, there is another secret. But this is not one you would wish to hear, nor is it relevant."

"Exactly how is _this_ relevant, anyways? So what if her etwahl made it so she couldn't speak, and her etwahl talks for her? Doesn't this just mirror how she plays her music? It doesn't change anything – it doesn't change Sona."

"Don't you think that if her etwahl speaks for her, she doesn't want Sona to speak? Wouldn't she be possessive? This would get in the way."

Okay, a certain pronoun was confusing. "Why do you say _she? _Her etwahl's a musical instrument. I'm stumped here."

"The etwahl has a female voice, so I am assuming. Is this not to your liking?"

A ding resounded.

"That marks 15 minutes. Any longer, and you will have to pay for another appointment."

After narrowing her eyes and raising her nose slightly in frustration, Ahri exited Akali's chamber. Her own room was nearby, but the Ionian fox figured any sleep would be restless.

Once again, she was faced with the dilemma of where to go, what to do. Once again, she was alone. Yet, this time, she hungered for someone's company in a tangible way. Sona's company. Her brief smiles, her fragile yet resilient mind, and the way her fingers played over anything they touched – Ahri wanted to be witness to these again. It was awkward, though; she left Sona downcast. Sad. Just left, without looking back. Even worse, she did this with the knowledge that Sona, too, was _alone_.

She was scared to see Sona again, to know the full impact of her actions. But she made a promise to Akali, and if she didn't correct that action from a couple hours ago, Ahri would have broken that promise. Sona didn't deserve to just be abandoned like that, either. She may have had her etwahl, but there was a reason she was lonely, even with that instrument always with her.

The etwahl had the ability to kill. The etwahl had the ability to revive. The etwahl had the ability to heal, to hurt, to make incredibly beautiful music. But where did each of these powers come from? Sona, or the etwahl? It didn't matter. The etwahl had to have emotions to be possessive of the Maven of the Strings as Akali said, and Ahri knew how those worked by heart. Well, she knew the kind the etwahl had by heart, anyways.

It seemed Ahri would have to win the etwahl's heart as well as Sona's. With that in mind, Ahri made her way to Sona's small villa in the whatever hall of whatever wing; the exact location is unimportant! She had resolve. She steeled this resolve. And so when she found a plaque with Sona's name on it, she rapped her fist against the door said plaque was mounted upon.

Ahri's voice was shaky. "Sona, I'd like to talk to you. Sona – and, uh, Miss Etwahl?"

A hushed twinkling that wavered occasionally and resembled a yawn emanated from the door's threshold, where the little crack was. Sona was notifying Ahri that she was going to answer the door – as soon as she could get up!

A few discords and jumbled notes later (Apparently Sona had trouble getting her pajamas off and her gown on), the door slowly made its way open. Sona had on a smile. This smile had sadness. And this sadness was somewhere Ahri wanted to reach.

"May I enter?" Ahri asked, a little too stiffly.

Sona nodded, groggily, and lit a candle that rested upon the table in her living room. She warmly motioned for Ahri to follow, and the gumiho did so.

They seated themselves in silence. Ahri fidgeted a little, though it was barely noticeable, as her ears were doing all the fidgeting.

"So..." said Ahri, "... umm."

She inhaled deeply, exhaling the same way.

"Miss Etwahl," she said, looking at the instrument (though not knowing exactly where on the instrument to look, considering its lack of a face), "Is it alright if I'm in love with Sona?"

The etwahl quivered, trembling a bit. A small humming came from it. Sona was doing decidedly well in containing her panic.

"I know you love her too," said Ahri. "You're both lonely, aren't you?"

The humming rose in pitch and volume as the etwahl shook more violently. Her player swallowed. Sona's mouth was dry. She didn't want _that_ to happen again. Her etwahl was the only important thing to her: that was the concept Sona kept repeating in her mind. But she knew. Lestara was important. Ahri was important now, too. That gumiho was the only person who kept persistent and friendly company.

"It's... going to be okay," whispered Ahri, timidly. Her voice became strong again. "I won't take Sona away from you. And I won't take you away from Sona. Love is not something that takes, and loneliness is not something that gives. I know this. And, Miss Etwahl, I love you too. Well, not in the same way I love Sona, but you don't love Sona in the same way I love her, either, do you? I promise I won't let either of you be lonely, like I was before I met you two."

The etwahl thrashed briefly during this speech before settling calmly, drooping a bit.

Sona couldn't really think at this point. Ahri, the seductress, just made a long and sincere speech about how she loved her, and that her companion, the etwahl, too, didn't need to be lonely either.

Lestara was gone.

It didn't matter, though. Because Ahri was right here. And she promised to alleviate the torture that had plagued Sona and the etwahl for years.

The guilt that was slowly eating away at Sona's mind withdrew. It was in the past. She didn't have to think about it.

Ahri took Sona's hand and placed it to her throat. She mouthed words, her vocal cords bobbing simultaneously.

_I love you. _

The gumiho grinned shyly after she met Sona's eyes. To tell the truth, Ahri didn't even know what she was doing. A good deal of this was outside of her field of expertise.

Sona slowly withdrew her hand.

"Miss Etwahl."

Ahri held her hand out to the instrument, beckoning. The etwahl edged closer.

She closed her hand, all of her fingers meeting her palm except for her pinky. "You two, I'll accompany you. As long as you want. Pinky promise."

Seeing as the etwahl had no fingers, it couldn't really do the whole pinky promise thing. Ahri realized this a little too late, but before she could withdraw her hand and make up an excuse for messing up so badly, Sona reached her hand out.

The Maven gently grasped Ahri's pinky with her own, slowly tightening her pinky's grip on Ahri's. Their pinkies rubbed against each other slightly, due to Sona wiggling her small finger against Ahri's slowly.

Ahri took her breath in sharply, and blushed. She did not avert her gaze from Sona's now intense one, however, and rubbed Sona's pinky back. Her heart was squirming, and her stomach was threatening to start break-dancing.

Their faces neared each other. Their lips each brushed against the other, before both sharply withdrew, embarrassed. Their pinkies still did not leave each other.

With her free hand, Sona, played a short, tranquil melody, upbeat, yet somber. She smiled the whole way.

For some reason, the etwahl's notes sounded clearer. Ahri closed her eyes, her lips upturned, enjoying each measure.

It was too awkward for Ahri to stay the night or anything like that, so after a few more songs and some brief handholding, Ahri left, with a promise to greet Sona in the morning.

–

_"Wh-what'd you do that for?" Ahri exclaimed, her face suddenly heated._

_ "Well, you never gave me that kiss I asked for," said Kyou._

_ "I – I don't... think I can... respond," Ahri muttered, looking off to the side._

_ "It's okay," said Kyou, embracing her senior in the world of former animals. "I don't mind. Take as long as you like. Just that the longer you take, the more awkward it'll be. Oh, and that promise."_

_ "I promise you on that one, I guess," Ahri said, hesitantly. At this point, she didn't know why she said that at all. "I won't leave you alone."_

_ "Alright!" said Kyou victoriously. She nuzzled her face into Ahri's shoulder. It was a bit too comfortable for comfort._

–

_Ahri had just finished a meal. His sudden terror at his life force escaping after his obscene, primal grunts disgusted her. But she couldn't help but feel pity for her food. Sympathy, even. He had a son. And this village thrived on the inheritance of trades. Who would this boy apprentice under?_

_ A tingling at the back of Ahri's head alerted her to one of the many problems she attempted to stuff away and keep from bothering her during her work._

_ Kyou..._

_ No wonder this felt so wrong. Ahri finished slipping on her clothes and silently left the inn. How many of her prey told her they loved her? She dashed away their hopes and their love. Ahri tried to just pass this off as survival, but there had to be another way._

_ What was the point of becoming human if humans themselves feared you?_


	5. Path

Sona woke to the sound of her instrumental companion's voice. The etwahl, who had christened herself as Maria, asked a question most tentatively.

"Your love for the former animal peaks like a crescendo."

Sona was not taken aback in the least. After all, Maria was privy to her thoughts, and Sona was just about to embrace Ahri in her dream. As in hug. Sona herself did not know what would follow, but Maria evidently assumed the nature of the events that could have transpired would be lewd, to say the least.

The etwahl continued. "Why, though, does the tempo of your heart accelerate when your thoughts are of bodily matters? It was not so intense with Lestara."

The reason Maria asked this question was that Sona herself did not know. It would normally be concluded that Ahri, the seductress, used some manner of magic to charm the Maven, but the Institute had its eye on her. That speech, too, was unnecessary if Ahri could just use her charming magic.

Sona thought back to the speech Ahri made. The Ionian was rather dashing, brimming with courage, even through Maria's temper tantrum. Sona's mind, though, was fixed on how cute Ahri was when she fumbled over her words, and how sweet it was that Ahri promised not to let her be lonely. It was odd that Sona trusted the temptress, yes, but the Maven couldn't help but feel Ahri was sincere.

Sona's musings were interrupted by a rap on her door. "It's me, Ahri. I did say I'd stop by this morning, right? That wasn't all a dream?"

Her voice was brighter than Sona had ever heard it, though awkwardly and shakily so. Ahri was earnestly enthused. And this touched Sona enough for her to go straight to the door to answer Ahri's beckoning without getting changed, or even fixing her amorphous mass of teal and gold hair.

Ahri peeked through the now open door in a comical manner, her hair tousled and eyebrows askew (it seemed Ahri rushed over as soon as she woke), prompting Sona to briefly place her lips upon her partner's.

When Sona's smiling face retreated, Ahri mussed her hair sheepishly and asked, "When did you get so... touchy feely? That was embarrassing! G, geez."

Ahri's face was considerably flushed. Sona imagined she was probably fighting lewd thoughts. Concerning her; normally lewd thoughts wouldn't affect the considerably sexually experienced nine tailed fox. Just what thoughts Ahri was having concerning Sona piqued her interest, indeed. As such, Sona inquired by touching her palm to Ahri's cheek and giving a coy grin.

Ahri's eyelids drooped slightly, her cheeks growing warmer. She probably looked really dumb, for so famed a seductress/manizer/womanizer/geisha/what-have-you. Realizing this, she perked up, smiling sheepishly. Embarrassed, she admitted to having lewd thoughts: "Yeah... I was... thinking about how it would feel to feel you."

Maria was understandably upset at this. Not only was it a bad pun, but it had only been two weeks since they met, and Ahri was already making such forward advances on Sona! Of quite a sexual nature, too. The etwahl trembled slightly, discording ever so slightly in order to show her disdain. The target of the etwahl's disdain giggled and grinned, winking. "Oh, oh, do you want me to 'play' you first?" she said.

Just as Maria was about to erupt into a key-spam screaming "Oh no you didn't," Sona placed a reassuring hand on the etwahl. She gave an eager smile to the Ionian across from her, as if to say "That sounds like a great idea!" Ahri did not misinterpret the cue, and began to inquire about the instrument. "Your etwahl looks similar to the Guqin of Ionia. Does it play the same way?"

The focus of Sona's eyes traveled to the ceiling as she made use of her knowledge of music. The etwahl and the Guqin did have similarities, yes, but the etwahl was not grounded, and was magical in nature – this changed things entirely. A different sound would come out with the strings pressed, and there was a different quantity of strings. It could not simply be guessed which strings pressed and plucked would produce a certain key. Moreover, Maria was fickle, and didn't make particularly nice sounds for those she disliked (Sona once tried to get Lestara to play her – it didn't work out so well).

Discarding these thoughts in favor of a more literal and mechanical line of logic, Sona nodded.

Ahri took note of this affirmation, entering Sona's quarters and seating herself on the cushy teal sofa centered in the entrance room. She briefly noted how her behind sank into it, before Sona sat herself beside Ahri and nudged Maria towards Ahri. The etwahl muttered in disdain, "I will not concede. Her fingers will only coax the twang of an out of tune instrument from me," before withdrawing herself from the Ionian fox. Sona giggled and nudged her back again, this time while running her fingers down some strings, releasing a humming noise. The etwahl stayed.

"So, Miss Etwahl," breathed Ahri, in a playfully seductive manner (though more playful than anything, considering how giddy she was), "which of these is the G string?"

Sona, looking to her left, beheld Ahri's countenance. The Ionian's eyebrow was raised. Sona's lips refused to remain in a neutral position, instead transitioning into a smile. Resistance was futile; she _would_ be wearing a terribly huge grin the entire time.

Maria did not respond. She'd given up, Ahri supposed, at attempting to ward away the temptress's charms. Or so the gumiho liked to believe. Taking this as a signal to being (attempting to) play, Ahri laid her eyes upon the etwahl. Yes, it did appear to be like a guqin. However, the board was separated by a wooden plank between the two "segments" of strings. As such, the dimension of playing technique was twofold: In order to play this instrument with just two hands, one side would influence the other. In addition, there were only three strings, as opposed to the guqin's standard six. The wooden board, therefore, was to produce the remaining three string keys on the other side of the etwahl.

Other than these significant details, the etwahl was a standard guqin. The side facing the player was dotted in a standard manner (denoting the string positions) for each side. Ahri concluded she should just try it out (she'd look cool if she could pull it off, and if she couldn't, then she'd get, mm, _lessons_ from Sona) and placed her fingers delicately over the two upper strings, and her thumbs just barely pressing on the one lower string. On both sides, she simultaneously pressed her thumbs down, then plucked the string with her index fingers, stretching it upwards.

A clear, crisp sound echoed out. Two, actually – both harmonizing to create a C chord. Middle C. A gentle, neutral note that didn't quite leave an impression, but still caressed the eardrum. As the note slowly faded into nothingness, she created a vibrato/slide scale effect by sliding her hands up and down the board while alternating degrees of pressure on the string.

While her display of mastery over the etwahl in just a few minutes was impressive, Ahri decided it would be quite difficult to play one of the songs she still remembered on it. The layout was strange and even aroused her suspicion. What advantage would the etwahl have over the guqin?

Sona shifted to her left, leaning into Ahri, as if she meant to answer her question. Their bare shoulders touched, each surprised at just how smooth the other's shoulder was, and both attempting to pretend they hadn't noticed. While Sona looked away in a conspicuous manner, Ahri continued to examine the etwahl, although each definitely had her attention on the other's touch. In short, it was comfortable, yet did not bring either of them to comfort. It was soft, reassuring; the warmth was grounding. But, boy, were both of them unsure whether to indulge in more or to remain reserved.

Ahri made the first slip-up. Her mind no longer able to focus on what the etwahl was for, she shifted slightly in order to take her hands off Maria. The friction sent what felt like a jolt of electricity spreading from the point of contact (their shoulders) throughout their bodies, warmth finding its way to their (ample!) chests. A certain warm liquid flowed to Ahri's face, allowing her to notice that, yes, Sona's skin felt excessively good against hers. The way things were going, though, the etwahl would get _very_ angry.

Sona made the second slip-up, though in all actuality, it was deliberate. She leaned into Ahri closer, twisting her torso to the side so she could rest her head on Ahri's shoulder and drape an arm around her partner's abdomen.

The Ionian's mind went blank. She couldn't really think about anything anymore, her brain blocking out all abstract thought and processing only sensory information. This only made everything more intense, and her only blaring thoughts were about how the mild scent of sleep-sweat mixed with whatever absolutely amazing soaps Sona used smelled like sexy, or how much she liked the real and intimate feeling of Sona's arm around her stomach, or _oh gods is she breathing into my ear now?_

Having had her fun, Sona withdrew her body (just enough to keep Ahri from exploding into naughty) and sat upright, positioning her hands on the right segment of the etwahl's wooden body.

"Ah," exclaimed Ahri, who came back to her senses near-instantly, "that's what it's for. Duets."

Sona smiled and nodded.

"How romantic!" Ahri grinned widely. "This seems a lot easier to play, too..."

With a bit of occasional guidance from Sona, the two managed to coherently play a song renowned over the entirety of Valoran – Ave Maria. With the last calming note, they looked to each other, content, each sinking into the other's embrace.

Maria seethed in Sona's head. "What's wrong with you? What about me? Hey!"

–

_ Ahri returned to Kyou, like always. They'd been something more than friends, but less than lovers for almost a decade now, though time was not important to the gumiho. As such, when Kyou brought up their decade anniversary, Ahri's response was rather rude and insensitive._

_ "What are you talking about? Moreover, anniversary?"_

_ "Yes, it's a commemorative event my master had with his wife when I was a housecat. They would celebrate and hold-" Kyou said this part with glee - "intimate interactions with each other."_

_ More than slightly perturbed by this statement, Ahri replied, "But why should it matter how long we've been together? The humans have a limited lifespan, while we have centuries of free reign. It doesn't make sense to care. Or more accurately, it's a waste."_

_ "Of what, though?" Kyou asked._

_ Before Ahri realized her mistake, she blurted out her answer. "Time."_

_ Check and mate. "See? And, you know, since you've got so much time, it's even more important to value everything. After all, you've got the time for it."_

_ Ahri rubbed the bridge of her nose, scowling a bit. A faint "ugh" was heard when she returned to her original stance of arms dangling to the side. "Alright, I give."_

_ "You'd better!" laughed the nekomata. "Your province of Ionia is more respectful than mine, yes? I hear you bow to your elders every time you see them, bow really low!"_

_ "I... I was a fox," Ahri said. "Not a domesticated animal." Sneering._

_ "Uh-uh, well..." Kyou lost her words for a moment, staring off into the lush canopy above her. Her hammock-buddy placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair._

_ "Hey, don't imply I'm a kid!" squealed the feline. "A-anyways, you've got to remember to value your time!"_

_ After all, her master passed away before she did, leaving her alone. Kyou realized, then, that she hadn't done all she wanted to do, hadn't seen all she wanted to see, with him. The fat cat of that time disappeared, slowly forgotten._

_ Ahri wouldn't forget, though. She'd kept all her promises. Kyou was confident of this._

_ "Alright, kid," said Ahri, smugly._


End file.
